Embers Volume Two: Wildfire
by SilentSymphonist
Summary: With the new-found revelation that a remnant of her past is alive, Cinder Fall continues to contemplate her past with the help of her old rival. As she looks back in time to the Grimm War, she will discover that within the deepest recesses of her memory, some things are better left forgotten...
1. Chapter 1

Embers Volume Two: Wildfire

Chapter One: Lynch Pin

_Five hours ago…_

Anger

Envy

Disgust

Hatred

Now more than ever, these emotions were twisting and spurning in the deepest recesses of Rizu's heart. They black-clad student dragged his flesh hand along the chilly walls of Beacon Academy, using them and the sounds around him as a guide. Mere moments ago, he had been summoned to the ballroom to make selections of music for the approaching Winter Formal. In his heart of hearts he didn't want to go anymore, but unfortunately he was already committed to it. As his mind wandered, his thoughts were fixed on one person: Ella. Memories of that night where he shared his feelings of negativity with her flooded his mind, specifically the moment when he touched her. Just the thought of feeling the gentle, silky contours of her face brought a slight redness to his cheeks. Why did he have such conflict about her? It's not like she cared about him in a strong way. At least, she never showed him. Besides, she had Roland. Rizu shook his head of these thoughts as he approached the ballroom door. With a deep breath, he was able to put some of his anger aside in order to get his work done and be civil. When he was finally calmed, he pushed the grand doors open to reveal an even grander ballroom.

The echo from opening the door resounded throughout the vast chamber, every reverberation bouncing and reflecting off the many stoic walls and lucid windows. With this, Rizu was able to make out every shape and structure. From the pillars to the turntable to the dance floor, he could 'see' it all. As much as he didn't care much for the school and what it stood for, he did have to admit that the architecture was impressive. If he had his sight he would most likely take a liking to these buildings much more than the ones in Atlas. The extracurricular activities committee had spent all week setting up and preparing for the dance. Every pillar was adorned with gold and silver balloons, complimented by similarly-colored streamers draping from the second floor walkways of the ballroom. The turntable the school provided was relatively outdated by Rizu's standards, sitting on top of the stage towards the back of the chamber and only accompanied by two large, black speakers. The only thing left now, was to select music. As Rizu moved towards the middle of the dance floor, he became slightly disturbed by the lack of sound.

"Hello? Anyone here?" he called out.

"Unfortunately, it's just you and I in here Mr. Fall. I hope the equipment we have provided will be enough" a familiar voice replied.

Rizu's brow furrowed, realizing the voice's identity, "Oh. It's you. Where's the student committee I was supposed to meet Professor Ozpin?"

The headmaster of Beacon Academy stood behind the turntable, looking directly at his pupil's hateful expression. With a modest smile on his face, the silver-haired man descended the small set of stairs from the stage to the dance floor. As he approached the student, Ozpin could practically feel the deep-seeded animosity emanating from him. Just what was it about him that angered this student so deeply? Rizu's body stiffened like pine as he heard Ozpin approach him, the blood in his veins boiling and the gears in his left arm whirring and grinding.

"You can relax Mr. Fall. Nobody here is going to attack or anything", the professor assured.

The blind blader scoffed, "Yeah well, I'm not about to take chances. I was told I would be meeting with the students in charge. So I will ask again. Where are they?"

Ozpin let a chuckle escape his usually stoic form, "You know you have a lot of nerve to speak to an elder like that. Are you brave? Stupid? Or do you truly hate me that much?"

"I'm not your biggest fan I can assure you of that. If I'm not here to select the music for the dance like I was _specifically pulled from class to do_, then I'll be on my way"

"I sent them away. I needed to talk to you in private"

"Well then, I'm sorry to disappoint you sir, but I truly couldn't care less about what you have to say to me. If you're quite through wasting my time, I'll be going"

As Rizu turned to leave the ballroom, Ozpin stood and let out a frustrated sigh before taking steps toward the student. Why did he always have to be so difficult? For somebody with excellent hearing and awareness, any kind of wise or meaningful information fell on deaf ears in Ozpin's view. The professor wondered much like anyone who had ever met Rizu: did he hate for a reason? Or did he hate for the sake of hating. Whatever the reason, Ozpin _needed_ him to listen.

"I need your help", Ozpin called to the boy.

Rizu froze in his tracks, "You need my help? You're Professor Ozpin. What in the hell could you possibly need from me?"

The headmaster took a seat on a nearby chair, "Because you are among the few whom I can trust Rizu"

The teenager furrowed his brow, "You have my attention"

Ozpin sighed, as if a weight was lifted off of him, "Many years ago we entered a time of peace. As much as we would like to keep that peace, the world seems to throw itself into further turmoil. To put this simply, I believe I have set you and your comrades on a dangerous path. Namely, I believe that Miss Blaze is in grave peril'

A deep, vexing wrath had begun to boil inside of Rizu, "What have you done?!"

"It was not my intent to put you four in danger. I have merely been informed that-"

"Stop beating around the bush Ozpin! Tell me right now what the hell is going on!"

"Ella Blaze is a target. In fact, you are all targeted. Like I said, this was not my intention. Sending you on that mission to Vale was a grave…miscalculation"

Rizu's empty eyes widened, "You mean…the group who sent the fake message? The ones who were trying to frame the White Fang? They're after me and my friends?!"

As Ozpin nodded grimly, Rizu shook his head in disgust. Even with all of his resources, the headmaster of the most prestigious school in Vale if not the world of Remnant itself couldn't keep a few kids out of trouble. This had just lowered Rizu's opinion of Huntsmen and Huntresses alike as well as Ozpin himself. Most people in the world, especially children, look up to Huntsmen and Huntresses. Many, in fact, aspire to become like them. In Rizu's furious eyes however, Huntsmen were nothing but self-gratifying, over-zealous, glorified police. They all go on and risk their lives, and for what? Glory? Just the thought of it all made his fists tighten and his teeth grit. Feeling his wrath starting to swell, Rizu just took a deep breath and started to calm down since he would rather avoid being suspended or expelled for any violent outbursts.

"So then Ozpin…what is it you exactly you need my help with?" the student asked through his teeth.

Ozpin looked up at him, "I have solid intelligence that this group will attack you four at the dance tonight. The only other solid detail is that they plan to capture Ella. I know not what for, but they need her alive"

Rizu grunted, "Why come to me? Why not Zane? He's the leader of Team ZERO"

"Because what I'm asking you to do is something I cannot ask the rest of your team. Only you can put an end to this conflict before it gives birth something far more tragic"

"What are you asking me to do?"

Ozpin's gaze averted for a moment before focusing back on his student.

"The intruders. I need you to kill them"

Rizu Fall felt his blood run cold as those words left Ozpin's lips. He was being asked to murder them? As much as he wasn't proud of it, he was no stranger to killing. He had killed entire companies of Atlas soldiers and prototype droids with Sirena at his side. Back then, his only reason for killing was for survival. When he was arrested by the military the first time, many families of the soldiers who were felled by his blade protested and rioted for his execution. As much as it might have been just for him to die, Rizu was thankful for the second chance. Unfortunately, his actions have cursed him to the lifestyle he detested.

"You want me to kill again? Do you realize what I have been through because of that? The life I am condemned to because of my actions?!" Rizu barked harshly.

"Yes. Believe me when I say that I didn't want it to come to this. If I had other options I would choose them, but I can't" Ozpin responded, sounding defeated.

Rizu growled, "What about the faculty? Why not call the local Huntsmen and Huntresses? Why can't they handle this?"

The headmaster shook his head, "This enemy faction has wormed their way into my ranks. Some of their spies are here at Beacon already. I cannot risk alerting them that I am aware of their plot. If they find out, they could change course and we wouldn't have a chance at retaliation"

"Well what about right now? Wouldn't this conversation arouse some suspicion?"

"I doubt it. Seeing as how they have targeted you, their overconfidence will lead them to believe that you can't defend against them. We have to make them believe that they have the advantage"

"I see. So that's why you haven't done anything about the spies?"

Ozpin nodded, glad that he and Rizu were finally starting to talk civilly, "That's correct"

Something about this didn't seem right about this situation. Even if Rizu was the only one capable of killing, why wouldn't he just warn the Team as a whole instead of just him? He didn't know exactly what was wrong, but it made his stomach churn. He didn't want to let himself be used as a living death machine just because Ozpin couldn't get his hands dirty. Maybe I can use this to my advantage, Rizu thought.

"I'll help you Ozpin. However you have to do something for me in return", he said flatly.

Ozpin's eyes narrowed, "The lives of you and your friends isn't enough? Don't you think that's a bit selfish?"

"Saving the lives of my team is one thing. Being asked to kill these intruders is something completely different", Rizu warned.

"…fair enough. What is it you want?" Ozpin asked, giving in.

Rizu sighed before replying, "I want you to tell me who my parents are"

Ozpin's eyes widened, "That's not-"

"-in your power? I beg to differ. You're going to find out. Unless you would prefer I let these maniacs of yours run rampant"

Unable to see a way out of his conditions, Ozpin simply nodded half-heartedly and responded with a 'mhm'. Seeing as how he believed negotiations to be finished, Ozpin stood up and turned to leave. Rizu stayed still as the headmaster walked past him and towards the door, the clacking of his cane reverberating throughout the massive chamber. The obnoxious noise was one of the few reasons he wished he didn't have such sensitive hearing. As the headmaster opened one of the colossal doors, Rizu looked back towards him.

"Hey Professor. As it happens, this equipment is not to my liking" Rizu called out.

The Huntsman looked back at the pupil, "Oh? What exactly will you need?"

Rizu grinned, "Just a few things"

_Present…_

As the chandelier descended, everything seemed to slow down. Ella, Zane and Rizu huddled closely as the collective screams of the students, faculty and Grimm Knights alike echoed violently around the ballroom. With the chandelier falling ever closer towards him and his friends, Rizu reached into his coat pocket, finding a device with a glowing crimson switch. After a swift flip of it, feedback could be heard coming from the numerous speakers scattered around the room. Mere seconds separated Team ZERO from their demise. The time was now for action to be taken.

"Sirena! Now!" Rizu barked.

After knocking the cloaked Faunus over the turntable, the sea-green clad siren held up the mic to her lips, inhaled deeply, and let loose a spine-tingling, blood chilling scream. As the chandelier continued to fall, the resounding scream shattered the glass construct, along with every window into miniscule, harmless shards. With the speakers blown, the sound fizzled out into white noise. The whole crowd, human and Faunus alike were reeling in pain from the ear-splitting sound. Among the crowd of pained groans and whines, Lancelot staggered to his feet. A furious growl emanated from the masked Faunus and from his hip, he drew a handgun, aiming it straight at Orion.

"I have had quite enough of this childish resistance! Grimm Knights! Take the girl and leave no surv-OOF!" the extremist was knocked off the stage by a swift kick to the back.

Sirena dusted her dress off as she watched the villain crumble, "Don't just sit there idiots! Get up!"

Zane coughed a little as he collected himself, "Think this is a good time to try out the rocket-propelled locker prototype?"

"Just do it!" Ella snapped, generating infernal blasts using the dust she had sown into her gown.

Zane nodded cockily as she pulled out his scroll and typed a few commands into it. The leader's eyes widened as he heard an attacker charging at him from behind, yelling something about rotten humans or something. Mere seconds before he could hit the wealthy teen, a cumbersome steel locker burst through the roof and landed roughly on top of him. Shrugging, Zane opened the locker and retrieved Umbra and Aurora, although leaving them sheathed to charge. With the two Grimm Knights holding Orion aimed their own guns at him, ready to fire. As their fingers began to put pressure on the trigger, the one on the left suddenly had a radiant whip lashed around his throat, yanking him back. Within mere moments, the other Knight was sent flying by a fierce fist. Ella and Zane looked back towards the chamber doors, seeing a familiar pair. Wasting no time, Areana and Eos tended to their unconscious friend. Orion was covered from head to toe in scars and bruises. Although he was alive, he would be in no condition to walk let alone fight. The sisters nodded to one another, words being unnecessary. With her herculean strength, Areana lifted the wounded Faunus onto her shoulders and bolted towards the school infirmary. The remainder of Team ZERO and ARES looked around, seeing several Grimm Knights flooding in through the shattered windows and balcony doors.

"So you decided to come after all?" Ella asked the golden goddess.

Eos wore a more stalwart expression than normal, "Well the challengers Areana spoke of weren't much of a challenge. Areana pummeled them. Once we heard Sirena's scream, we came running"

As she replied, three Grimm Knights charged at the Nikos sister from both sides. She merely huffed as she fully extended her whip, lashing it around the ankle of the attacker on her right before promptly yanking on the handle to fling him into his partner, crashing them both into a pillar. As she saw the Knights terrorizing the much more inexperienced students, she calmly took graceful yet determined strides towards the terrorists, all the while charging her whip with lightning energy. Before one of the attackers could lay a finger on one of the students, a resonating crack was heard as his wrist became wrapped in Eos' whip, subsequently sending currents of lightning energy into his body. As the grunt collapsed, Eos began to step towards the other surrounding Knights, only to be stopped by a venomous bark.

"Stop!" the blind musician hissed, drawing his blade, Treble.

Ella ceased firing off her attacks, "Huh?"

The blind swordsman took heavy steps towards the fallen Faunus, tapping his blade to make sure he knew where his steps took him. The masked crusader was still convulsing violently on the floor from Eos' attack. To keep him steady, he slammed his boot into his chest, applying pressure to try and stop his constant jittering. His heart raced as he could feel the Faunus' masked gaze bore into him. Rizu took his blade and extended it to his right, his heart rate climbing. Ella, Zane and even Eos' eyes became wide with trepidation as they knew what was to come. This isn't like him. Ella thought. Sirena on the other hand had just caught a glimpse of what was happening, having been too distracted with fending off Grimm Knights using their own weapons. Along with the others she knew what was to come, but her eyes stayed fiercely focused on her own issues. Rizu's hand trembled as he tried to steel himself of his next action. With everything he had done, it was doubtful that sparing the lives of a few terrorists would redeem him. Once he remembered what was at stake if any of them lived, there was no more room for hesitation. With the same stoic expression he always wore, he swiped his blade downwards swiftly.

Although he cursed his condition, this was one of the few moments where he was grateful for his blindness. He didn't have to witness the horrified faces of his friends and peers. He didn't have to see the tiny droplets of blood dripping off of his sword. However, he would have to suffer the guttural, gurgling sounds of his victim's death. The Faunus wriggled under Rizu's boot, a crimson river gushing from the incision on his throat. As painful as it was to hear and see for the people around him, it didn't take long for whatever life remained to fade into the abyss.

Rizu stepped off of the dying knight, "I'm… I'm sorry"

As those words dissipated into thin air, all motion in the chamber stopped. From the Grimm Knights to the students, everything and everyone had stopped dead in their tracks as they witnessed everything. Lancelot finally stood, shooting his handgun into the air. As the Grimm Knights looked to their commanding officer, a quiet rage brewed within.

"Attention to all Grimm Knights, fall back and retreat!" he commanded as he took a small pellet from his belt.

Subsequently, the rest of the Grimm Knights mimicked their leader. In a single, simultaneous movement, the Grimm Knights slammed their pellets into the floor, creating a thick smoke that easily filled the entire ballroom. The students coughed heavily from the dense, yet strangely harmless gas. Once the smoke had evaporated several minutes later, the extremists were nowhere to be found. Even though the students had successfully 'won', they knew what was to come with the enemy's escape.

This was _war_.

**Alright! There we go! The starter to the exciting second volume of **_**Embers**_**. What did you think? Read and review! Thanks for being patient with me. As you can probably tell, this volume is going to be a lot more dramatic and a lot more violent. Brace yourselves, for the Grimm War has begun...**


	2. Ties that Bind Us

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

The droning sound of Orion's heart monitor echoed softly throughout the infirmary. Eos and Areana sat on opposite sides of his bed, each holding one of his large, bandaged hands. Each of the sisters' face was burning from tears. Nobody had ever seen either of them cry before, so this sight was bewildering to say the least. Areana gripped her friend's hand with one of hers as the other tightly squeezed the steel bed frame. A few feet away from the bed, Zane and Ella could see the metal frame bending and warping from the immense strength that only seemed to rise with Areana's boiling fury. Eos on the other hand was much more gentle. As the tears cascaded down her cheeks, she just looked on at her wounded friend with a pained sadness. Ella and Zane wondered to themselves just how close the three of them were to warrant this much affection. The group of students turned their heads towards the door as the sound of it opening interrupted any internal trains of thought.

Through the door came Professor Ozpin, Professor Goodwitch, and lastly: Rizu. As the trio came through, Ella and Zane's gaze shifted to their teammate. The boy in black's steps became heavier the further he got into the room, as if he bore the weight of a thousand mountains. His gaze was fixed on the floor. As rare as it happened, this was one of the moments that Rizu was grateful for his blindness. What kinds of looks were his comrades giving him? Looks of scorn? Disgust? Whatever they were, he didn't want to know. Ella stepped forward to meet him, only for Zane to lunge in and rocket his balled fist straight into Rizu's gut. With an audible thud, the boy fell to the floor. The sound of a collective gasp filled the room. Ella rushed to the side of her fallen friend, trying her best to help him up.

"Zane! What the hell is wrong with you?!", the fiery sorceress shouted.

The swordsman rolled his eyes,"Oh get a grip! He got a _whole_ lot less than he deserves"

"That is _enough!_", Ozpin barked.

Every head in the room jerked towards the headmaster, never knowing the normally calm man to be able to snap so easily. Even Glynda was taken aback slightly by his outburst. The silver-haired Huntsman sighed exhaustively before standing up to face his fellow allies. What would he tell them? What _could_ he tell them? He was more than aware of the eventuality that the people around him would start to lose trust in him, although this was the time when he needed that trust more than ever. After kneeling down to help Ella bring Rizu to his feet, he stood tall among the others in the room. If there was any time for him to tell the truth, it was now.

"It is in the best interest for everyone here to listen carefully. Over the past few weeks, I have heard rumors. They were rather more akin to whispers. Whispers of an organization that threatened the destruction of one thing: humanity. These whispers spoke of plans, operations, and schemes with the endgame being the complete annihilation of the human race. Naturally, as a Huntsman, I had my people look into this matter as I must stay behind to watch over the academy. Over time the reports stopped coming. Soon there were disappearances and several Huntsman and Huntresses were coming up dead. Of course we did our best to hide this from the public. Eventually, I received a message. It said: 'Watch your back. They are at Beacon. The Knights want their Princess'"

Zane scoffed,"Is that why there were no teachers or staff at the dance tonight?"

Ozpin shook his head,"No. In the event that the Grimm Knights truly were making sure there would be no resistance, I made sure there would be no supervision. I had to make sure that the Grimm Knights would be lured in by lack of fighting strength. They had to believe they had the advantage. With that out of the way I still needed a way to eliminate the threat as soon as possible. That's where Rizu came in"

"What?! Why him? I'm the leader. It's _my_ duty to watch over my team!", Zane interrupted again, his body quivering with fury. He was the leader after all...wasn't he?

"That may be. But do you think you are strong enough to kill another person?"

"..."

The earthen-haired swordsman backed away, his eyes wide like the full moon from the Headmaster's question. Could he kill? All his life he had only known the comforts and luxuries of a spoiled rich boy. Never did he have to raise his swords to another person. Killing the creatures of Grimm and slashing through robotic training dummies was one thing, but taking the life of someone ,even to protect you own, was something entirely different. He wanted to be stronger, to prove to his team that he can be a good leader. Despite his desire to be better he wasn't sure if he could kill.

"I-I...I don't know. But what does that have to do with Rizu? Why was he able to kill that Faunus?!", the heir interrogated.

Ozpin shifted his gaze to the blind student before closing his eyes,"Because Rizu has killed before"

All eyes shifted to the boy in black, and although he could not see it, he could _feel_ the judging glances of everyone in the room. He knew this day would come eventually. Rizu didn't want to admit it, but he was indeed a murderer. If he could take it all back he would, but to him there was no point in lingering in the past. He simply sighed and turned to leave the room, only for Zane to yank on his jacket, pulling him back. _That's it_, Rizu thought. As he whirled around, the blind blader lifted his left arm and slammed his iron fist into Zane's jaw. The leader flew back against a wall before collapsing. Zane struggled to get up, he lifted his hand to his mouth, blood trickling out of it. After spitting out a tooth, Zane charged forward to retaliate, only for Ella to come between the two.

"Out of the way!", Zane barked.

Ella ignited a flame in her left palm,"Touch him and I'll burn you alive"

Zane's eyes widened,"What?! You're going to defend this monster?!"

"Have you forgotten that I'm a killer too? Does that make me a monster? Last I checked you used to despise the Faunus and yet you weep for one that tried to kill everyone? Who's the real monster Zane? What Rizu did was to protect us. If he and Sirena didn't step in and stop the Grimm Knights we would have all been either captured or dead! We have all done things we aren't proud of! I've killed my mother. Did you forget that?!"

Glynda stepped between the two students and snapped her crop on her clipboard, shutting them up before speaking,"Alright children, enough! We don't have time to sit here and argue. At this very moment, the Grimm Knights could be planning their next move and we need to be prepared. Leave your petty squabbles for the flight out of here"

Zane raised his eyebrows, his hand rubbing his jaw,"Flight? Where are we going?"

Ozpin stood up to answer,"Patch. It's a small, secluded island off the coast of Vale. For now, I can think of no other place that the eight of you would be safe"

Eos raised her head to his statement,"Huh? Team ARES is going too?"

"Undoubtedly. Sirena's involvement will lead to them going after you as well. As soon as we track down Roland, we can get all of you out of the city until we can figure out the enemy's next move"

It was Areana's turn to pipe up,"Hold up. What do you mean? Rat boy is missing?"

Eos sighed,"He's a weasel sis"

"Whatever"

"He never did show up to the dance", Ella added.

Zane huffed,"He could be one of them you know..."

"We have no proof of that right now. For now, I suggest that you all return to your dorms and start to pack. I'll have a nurse stand by and watch over Mr. Maxima until it is time to move him", Ozpin headed to the door with Glynda following close behind him.

As if on cue, a nurse stepped through the door with a clipboard, ready to check up on Orion. At this point, there would be no use in arguing with the Headmaster about the arrangements he had set up for them, so the students quietly filed out of the room, save for Eos and Areana. The Nikos sisters looked at each other with grim expressions, naturally with Areana's face seeming more furious and Eos' being more so calm. After giving him a kiss on the forehead, the blonde stepped away from the lion's bedside and towards the door, Areana not far behind her. Before closing the door, both Teams looked towards the nurse with worry, only for the nurse to give a half-hearted smile in response as the door closed.

Out in the hallway, Rizu and Ella had walked slowly behind Ozpin and Glynda, both a good distance apart with Zane a ways back from them. The sound of heavy footsteps echoed throughout the halls of the academy, echoing the heavy burdens that both Team ZERO and Team ARES now carried on their shoulders. Suddenly the two professors stopped, the hallway diverging into two paths: the dorms and the faculty offices. The headmaster looked solemnly upon his students before he began to speak.

"Alright. All of you head to your rooms and prepare. Rest up, pack, and relax for as long as you can. From today on, your lives will change in ways you can't possibly imagine", the professor warned.

Areana cleared her throat,"What about Roland? Aren't you going to find him?"

Glynda stepped forward,"Don't worry about your comrade. We will do our best to locate him. If he is not found before your departure, we will still continue to search for him. As long as the Grimm Knights continue to operate, he is in danger"

Not particularly pleased with the answer she received, Areana huffed, only for Eos to shoot her a glare of warning before leading her off in the direction of the dorm. By this point, Zane had already started his path to the Team ZERO dorm. As Ella and Rizu began their path to follow him, a continuing unease between them had began to fester. Although she had defended him, Ella wondered why Rizu never told her that he had killed before. Before she started thinking on it too hard, the girl just stared ahead and tried to put the thought out of her mind. Rizu however knew why he couldn't say anything before. If he was to earn the trust of Ella and the rest of his team back, now was the best time to come clean. The blind student stopped in his tracks, looking towards her. Eventually she stopped as well, looking back at him with a confused look on her face.

"What's wrong Rizu?", she asked cautiously.

He heaved a sigh before answering,"I need to tell you something. I need you to listen to everything I have to say. Can you do that for me?"

Ella was surprised to say the least, not expecting him to initiate a conversation like this,"O-Of course. What is it you want to say?"

"Killing was never something I wanted to do", he started,"It was something that just...happened"

"What do you mean? I thought you said it was only the droids that came for you"

Rizu shook his head slowly,"No. The bots were prototypes. There weren't enough to kill us, so after they expended those...Ironwood sent the soldiers. They were given the order to take us down by any means. Sirena and I tried our best to incapacitate them. Not kill them. Then there was this one soldier. He...he came up on me with his knife and tried to stab me. He had me on the floor and the blade was inches from my chest. With only one arm it was hard to fight him off. I used every bit of my strength to push him off. As he tumbled I managed to feel around for his blade. I took it...and I stabbed him. _Over_ and _over_ even after he was dead. It was then my hatred truly began to show it's face. Even Sirena couldn't make me calm down. With my own sword in hand, I cleaved through Ironwood's men, wanting nothing more than to spill his guts on the floor. With every kill, it got easier. It got to the point where I was killing them not because I had to, but because I _wanted_ to. Just as I had got in a position to kill the general, I heard the building explode with Sirena still inside. That window of distraction was enough for Ironwood to knock me out"

Ella just stared at Rizu, dumbfounded that he had kept this bottled up inside of him for however long. Yet a strange sense of pride washed over her as she was relieved that he had finally told her the truth. The fiery sorceress took his hand in her own, causing him to jerk his head a little, but easily calm down. A small resemblance of a smile had made its way onto Rizu's face. He responded in kind with taking her other hand, holding it in a gentle grip.

"Ella. I want you to know that I meant every word I said while we danced. I want to be...different. Hatred has been all I have known for a long time. Hopefully I can find a way to have you all trust in me again. Maybe even make Zane a little more...accepting as well", he continued, his small grin widening even if ever so slightly.

She smiled at him. Even though he couldn't see it, she was sure he could feel her gratitude for him really trying. Of course time, at the moment, was of the essence and they had to prepare themselves for the flight to Patch. The pair walked hand in hand to their dorm, ready to face whatever would come next.

**A/N: Hey guys. I know its been quite a while since my last update. However I am back in action and will hopefully be updating more frequently. I want to get this rolling and what not. So you all know the drill. R and R. See ya next time on _Wildfire_**


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